Dear Friends,
In this week’s Torah portion, Tazria-Metzorah, the Torah addresses a wide variety of skin diseases, providing us with a lens into an ancient world where sickness seemed incurable by human beings. These passages in Leviticus are some of the most difficult to read, especially in light of the fact that modern medicine can treat these ailments today with creams and pills. As we read these ancient treatments of the human body, it is truly amazing how far we have come in our abilities to treat many diseases and afflictions that once were considered life-threatening.
This month is National Donate Life Month (NDLM). NDLM features an entire month of local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. April may be drawing to a close, but our need to maintain awareness of medical advances is ongoing. As our Torah portion this week serves to remind us, treating ailments and diseases is sacred work that involves everyone in the community.
L’Shalom-Steve